BY DC CUEVA
Last week, there was something for everyone for Challenge fans as those in the Redemption House were given another chance to win their way back into the Dirty 30 and saw a veteran lady and a Young Buck win and a girl with Statitude falter badly. Meanwhile, MTV summer hit Fear Factor returned for a one-off special as the Challengers showed who's boss in a battle between Bananas, Leroy, Aneesa and Laurel faced off against the cast of the upcoming series Shredders. And in New Orleans, Are You The One? Season 6 debuted and saw a good number of hookups and love aplenty among our new group of 22 singles as Terrence J. took over as host.
Coming up, we'll look at the key moments of this past week on the three episodes, and head into the Strategy Room to look at what's next for a Dirty 30 season that seems to not come to an end anytime soon but is heading into the middle innings... along with a look at what the magic number is on AYTO... and it's not the two-digit numbers you think they are. After our poll results, who is the latest big name to jump onto the Team Jailah bandwagon? Find out with us next.
THINGS TO KNOW
First, the four pairs go up against snakes while they had to put the show logo together under water, and no doubt it scares everyone but the veterans do hold their own along with one of the two Shredders pairs. The second round, Face Your Fear, sees them take on a challenge that took place on the season itself of them consuming a drink mix of disgusting food. No way will we want to mention the ingredients, but it leads the other winter pair to quit and Team Challenge advances on.
■ GOING ABOVE: For the Final Fear, Bananas & Leroy and Aneesa & Laurel take on a task the guys are familiar with from doing that challenge on Rivals III last year: having to go onto a platform suspended high above and one having to garner as many flags as possible, while the other is holding onto their partner with a rope but situated behind a wall. That's where trust in each other takes on a greater emphasis, and both teams take advantage of their experience: Laurel jumps to reach the last flag before falling, but in the end the guys best the ladies' time to win the $50,000.
● A PRANK!: Over in Colombia, the main house finally gets a chance to unwind a bit after the intensity of the past few weeks of competition to enjoy a day on the boat, thanks to the sounds of Alex from Stranded's biggest fan Sia. When they get home, Bananas decides to go into his bag of tricks and play a prank on a fellow Challenger, just as he usually does each season. In this case, it's of super gluing feathers to the first person who falls asleep... and if you're familiar with that, this was the same joke a fairly young Johnny did to Derrick on the Ruins, and almost led to fisticuffs. This time in his mid-30's, it's Tony who becomes the victim and finds himself with the feathers on the face. And just like in Thailand, this almost ends up in the same place at the same time, where Tony threatens to go off and flip the bed to the point where Bananas tells him to do so. And after hearing that, Jordan decides just to head off and get a late night snack.
● REDEMPTION LUNCH: Those who call the Redemption House have also had their time to relax, but also regroup with a chance on getting back into the game -- and that's the focus of most of this episode, which includes TJ meeting them and the competitors also stating who they are going for if they win their way back. The next day, the two groups head out to different places: the Main House goes for a dinner, while the Redemption House goes for their own meal but definitely not of going to a nice restaurant. And when you get to air after what happened on Fear Factor, then be sure to have the trash can handy to throw up when needed.
Here, the Redemptioners' buffet consists of hard boiled cow eyes, a pig nose and a water rat, among other things -- and they must finish five plates of food. And after each plate they must sprint up stairs and jump into a mud pit and look for an egg they must crack open... if they find a rock they have to keep chugging the food down, but if they get an emerald they can choose a plate they don't have to eat. For a heads-up battle with the guys, Cory does whatever he can to do well while Hunter takes the lead early and doesn't let up, winning by two plates when he finds his emerald.
For the more competitive girls field, that too also becomes a one-on-one affair when Marie decides it's best to just not give 100% and of course, TJ lets her have it. By default, Aneesa and Nicole battle for the spot and the Make-Up Master takes advantage of the veteran's poor start to take the early lead and holds onto it for most of the battle. It is, however, the cow eyes that eventually become Nicole's undoing when they become too thick for her to swallow and too tough for her to chew... Aneesa takes advantage and wins.
● TONY'S CALL: The episode concludes with everyone making calls back home to catch up on what's happening with family, and in Jemmye's case, wondering about that gossip of her favorite stars. In the case of Tony, he knows that what happened with him and Camila is still fresh in his mind and it's when he calls his girlfriend Alyssa -- who we first saw when she and Elizabeth flew in as skeletons on Tony's Real World season -- that things begin to get sketchy. She tells him that according to the web and the infamous spoiler site Vevmo that he had hooked up with Camila, but he denies those rumors and will simply deal with it when he heads home. This is just the start to this latest saga in Tony's life... which if you saw his stories this past weekend have seen him spend a weekend babysitting and co-parenting both of his babies. Stay tuned to see where this ends up next - including his new buzzcut too.
♥ SWIPE RIGHT FOR LOVE: In Tony's Louisiana home, AYTO Season 6 and Terrence J's stint as host begin right after the salutations with the first getaway challenge, where the girls are asked to identify objects shown on a monitor that relate to what the guys deem are important to them, and they will win their way on the date if they get it right. Audrey wins the first ticket when she correctly identifies a football, and it's linked with former football player Malcolm. Keyana then takes the second one when she identifies a piano, which is matched to aspiring rapper Ethan - and it's no surprise that he spits some bars afterwards. When a religious image comes up, no one notices and Clinton misses his chance to get the last ticket, which goes instead to David "The Shad" when a pic of a condom is correctly identified by Jada, though she's upset about her date that she feels that it should be Clinton going out with her than Shad.
♥ GETTING TO KNOW YOU: When they all move in, Ethan sees that Keyana is flirting with a guy who she follows on Instagram, Michael, and he feels that he is getting friendzoned, just as she and the model talk about potentially being a match. Keyana tells Mike about her past failed relationships and her having a miscarriage and would then shower together.
Something similar takes place with Audrey when she's anticipating her date with Malcolm... but the night before that he decides to take for a swim with Diandra. Things get more twisted when before her date with Shad, Jada spots Uche getting close with Clinton, and tells her she has to get his attention a bit more aggressively but the ladder says she won't back down in the quest for his heart.
And West Virginian Alexis and New Yorker Keith also find each other attractive with her confidence winning him over. And sharing a kiss, they then become the season's first couple to sleep together and get it on inside the Boom Boom Room.
♥ HOOK-UPS APLENTY: On the getaway date, the daters head to a local bar, get serenaded by a jazz band, and they all share in NOLA's favorite drink of a Hurricane. There, Ethan asks Keyana about Michael and says that she likes him... they would then get voted into the Truth Booth and emerge a no-match much to her delight. On the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street, Audrey and Malcolm have a talk and she warns him that he is typically the kind of man she looks for, and then calls him a player, though Malcolm tells Audrey that he came onto the show looking for a serious relationship.
It would not be an AYTO season without playing a communal game that brings the house together, and its Truth or Dare that gives everyone a chance to let loose and do plenty of lip locking. Clinton and Uche smooch, then Diandra gets dared to kiss Malcolm, which leaves Audrey up in arms after that date experience. The bottle then turns to Alexis to kiss everyone she can get her hands on, and does exactly that... and after their fling in Poundtown Keith says that he didn't pay attention to Lex's potential hazards of suspicious behavior.
Still more: after his kiss with Diandra and his date with Audrey, Nurys enters her name into the Malcolm sweepstakes when they begin to build a connection when Diandra comes flying in to say that he's her man. But for the Dominican, he then heads into the shower with his second hookup Diandra, and for Nurys to get another shot when she and him hookup. It is indeed getting twisted.
STRATEGY ROOM
►AYTO: MATCH MATH... AND THE BIG MAGIC NUMBER
Well, this past week we once again saw the beginning of the quest for love and money, and Are You The One? is back with a new host, its first season taking place in the U.S. mainland and, of course, a new cast with all of the drama we expect. Because so many hookups and drama took place in the premiere episode, there wasn't a Matchup Ceremony at the end... this might be an omen for things to come because the only other time this took place, it was in the middle of Shanley's meltdown after the Chris T./Paige Truth Booth, but the cast went on to win the $1 million, which they did in their ninth try. If this is an indication, we could have just our second early stoppage… but this is just week 1.
So, we'll be entering what we like to call the Strategy Room to again look at where things stand, but in lieu of where we will offer the first Matchup chart here next week, for this first edition we'll look at something similar about not necessarily this cast but in the total number of them in this first AYTO installment of this cycle.
When Season 5 began earlier this year, a site called AYTO Math offered an explanation of what this game means with twenty-two people being in the house instead of the usual 20. If all of those lights get lit up - then the whole cast will split a 30-year annuity that will total up to $1,000,000... that means, $45,454.55 to everyone, which translates into the odd annual payment of $1,515.15 until they get into their 50s. They can opt for the lump sum, which will end up at around $22,000 - that is, should they not black out at any point in the season which, of course, sees them lose money.
For those who are deep into the world of analytics, the most important number to think of is 39,916,800... that is the total number of possible combinations among what might be the code of the eleven perfect matches. That calculation is simply the equation of 11 factorial when you decide to multiple the number 11 by each number in descending order - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and then to #1. In essence, the chance this cast can do what their Season 5 predecessors did not do stand at 1 in 39,916,800... which translates into a 0.00000002505% probability of them cracking that code by the time we reach the holidays. By comparison, the first four seasons had 3,628,800 combinations, and a 0.00002756% chance of them getting the 10 matches, which the originals did in nine tries and their successors did in the 10th round.
To put this into words for those who love that crazy elevens story... the addition of the 11th couple to the house (and hopefully that couple doesn't have to ask Christina if they can take her Team Eleven trademark) has made the game 11 times more harder than it was when the Originals took to the screen for the first time. Okay, so this is not the 1 in 175 million chance someone can win the Powerball lottery and the nine-figure paycheck that goes along with it, but 1 in almost 40 million that this cast can get to 11 for 11 will be a fascinating game for us to follow here, and will do so each week in our WRAP.
By the way, a footnote: I tweeted that if the house got a perfect match in the first truth booth -- not the case, 0-6 since what happened to Shanley & Chris T. in the very first one, it would be like running back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Ironically, it was in New Orleans where the first play in Saints history was kick returner John Gilliam running back the opening kickoff 94 yards for a TD in the franchise's first regular season game... all while his wife was in the bathroom and missed her husband's moment at the old Tulane Stadium. Just wanted to add there.
►DIRTY 30: WHAT'S NEXT?
As the game resets itself again with the re-addition of Aneesa and Hunter and the main house having their own getaway date while the Redemption'ers competed, how will this game be changed by them returning? And with eighteen players left in Colombia, how will the season shape up with practically more than half of the original field still left in the house?
It's been a long season with this having begun began amidst mid-July's summer heat and here we are at the start of fall and it's already been an awesome season in it offering both the competition people expect, and the drama you all love too. Yes, Ashley M. left before action began, Cory and Darrell were both eliminated earlier than many expected, and so much has happened both in and outside the competition venues - the most recent one for unfortunate circumstances. There's obviously much more still ahead of us in a season that a lot of you have been complaining has been dragging along because of the increased emphasis on the goings on in the Redemption House, and who knows when the finale will air as is the spinoff later on.
But the house now to 18 players, we're left with asking ourselves what's next? The remaining field has 12 players who've had over 30 finals appearances, and seven champions in Bananas, Camila, Cara Maria, CT, Derrick K., Jordan and Veronica are still with us and still with a good chance at winning as is Aneesa after her Redemption win as she looks for title #1... Leroy is also in that same boat. Those who have made their impact among the non-champions include Kailah, Jenna and Tony who all have won one elimination each. Aside from taking advantage of the double cross, Jemmye hasn't been in an elimination yet, as does Dario but remember to keep an eye out for those sleeping giants in this game. And with them having becoming casting gold a couple years later, AYTO Season 3 mates Hunter, Nelson and Britni have all proven themselves in also winning their way out of the Presidio, as does Tori.
Looking ahead here, when the number of players dwindle that's when we really get to see who the true contenders are in this game... it should be no surprise that the veterans should grab control of this game as we head towards the late rounds with the final looming, and when they all find out that they're playing for $1 million it will no doubt put everyone on edge. But with all of those who haven't won a title, don't be surprised if one or more spots go to any of those fairly new competitors as they look to crash the veterans' bash just as it was with Ashley M. last season.
For those who've made their way out of the Redemption House, Aneesa now is the latest to have a target on her back with the top girls having stated their position of wanting to get rid of her immediately, and she has to rely on who in the main house feels will give her a chance to get to the end. Nelson now his buddy Hunter back to try and prove that what happened last season was no fluke, and all they just need is to win missions and avoid finishing last so that they won't face the double cross.
So, things are now set as, hopefully by the end of tomorrow night, we're down to less than half of our original field.
DC FORUM: POLLS @DC408Dxtr
Whose return do you think will have
the biggest impact on the main house?
● ANEESA 31%
OUT OF 36 VOTESthe biggest impact on the main house?
● ANEESA 31%
● HUNTER 69%
Of these couples who hooked up in the
AYTO 6 premiere, who do you think is
a Perfect Match?
● KEITH & ALEXIS 17% AYTO 6 premiere, who do you think is
a Perfect Match?
● MALCOLM & DIANDRA 17%
● MICHAEL & KEYANA 50% ● MALCOLM & AUDREY/NURYS 48%
Which Challenger had the best performance
in this week's Fear Factor special?
● LEROY 14% in this week's Fear Factor special?
● ANEESA 14%
● BANANAS 29%
● LAUREL 43%
▪ ▪ ▪
#DCExtraTime
KAILAH MEETS JERSEY SHORE AND KEVIN HART
It was about at this time two years ago that Kailah was one of those finalists for one of those seven spots in the Real World Go Big suite in Downtown Las Vegas' Gold Spike, and the experience of having been on that Road Rules-inspired season has surely helped her in her first two Challenge seasons. And since she first made waves on The Challenge last season on Invasion, she has rapidly become one of the key figures in the house... whether she follows in Ashley's lead and walk away with the crown is still a long way out.
Two previous times, we have showcased her meeting two who've made a name the past 12 months: her musical idol Halsey before The Chainsmokers came a calling, and perhaps the most jealous of all celebrity meetings we've chronicled here - being invited to Floyd Mayweather's 40th birthday all thanks to her boyfriend Mikey P. being friends with the man who just became 50-0. Now, you can add a few more to those joining Team Jailah to the mix...
 |
| Twitter @IamMikeyP |
Last month, there were two reasons for Jersey Shore fans to get nostalgic: first, the entire cast (sans Angelina) filmed a Burger King commercial, and then E! aired a short but sweet regathering of most but not all of the cast who turned the seaside town into heaven for several of the show's six seasons, along with trips to Miami and Italy too. Since Kailah moved to Las Vegas, she has been a beneficiary of Mikey's contact list in getting to meet The Money Man and those in the entertainment world thanks to having done some side work in the Vegas clubs when not busy with promoting his music, for which she has a cameo in his latest music video. And earlier this summer, she got to meet Pauly D, who we first saw in Seaside as that party DJ and was cast on the show not because of his music but his blowout look after receiving a MySpace message. Pauly now has a permanent gig in Sin City along with traveling across the country to do DJ gigs too. And he was also one of the stars who was up for a date on the summer 2012 show The Choice, which we covered here last year, as was the E! show Famously Single where he had a brief relationship with Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day.
 |
| Twitter @IamMikeyP |
Also at that pool party is someone who's not only famous but famous on another level: Kevin Hart spent his childhood with a single mom and a dad who spent much of his time in jail on cocaine charges, but who would then find a refuge in stand-up comedy in his hometown of Philadelphia. It took time and hard work, and even getting run off the stage at local gigs, but eventually Kevin would develop his style inspired by Chris Tucker and delving into his life struggles. Nationwide comedy tours would follow for him, which translated into two of them making it into movie theaters and his own iTunes game. On the movie front, he first made his mark as part of the Scary Movie franchise, then, among others, Soul Plane, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, This Is The End (for which Averey and Joi from Real World Portland did a commercial parody of), Ride Along with Ice Cube, The Wedding Ringer and Get Hard with Will Farrell.
And then came TV: VH1's Real Husbands of Hollywood, a guys' take on the Real Housewives franchise, along with the 2011 BET Awards, the 2012 VMA's and the 2016 Movie Awards for which Kailah attended along with her Real World cast. We can't forget about his musical alias Chocolate Droppa and his collaborations with Trey Songz, Migos and T.I., not to mention he is about to become a dad later this year.
It's not only Halsey, Floyd, Pauly, Ronnie and Kevin who are on Team Jailah: they have also crossed paths with (either alone or together): Dolphins QB (and Laguna Beach's Kristin's ex) Jay Cutler, Farrah from Teen Mom, MMA fighters Rampage Johnson and Cris Cyborg, boy band After Romeo, and a girl who we'll be seeing in that Voice chair tonight, Miley Cyrus.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
And that's all for this week's posts covering this busy first week of us covering two shows at the same time in The Challenge and Are You The One?. We're actually pressed for time here, so our usual epilogue of links to episode chatter, interviews and more will return here next week. But we're not done here this week: at midweek we'll take a Look at the new MTV show which debuts tomorrow night after The Challenge. And later before your Monday night comes to a close, we at DCBLOG will mark a special milestone with a special bonus post... stay here with us.
- I AM DC
No comments:
Post a Comment
Got something on your mind? Let us know! But please be mindful and do not post spam or negative comments (due to that, all comments are subject to blogger approval... and we reserve the right to disable these sections if things get way out of hand).